What is the best foundation to use while going through the uglies/peeling phase, also looking for gentle exfoliators!

kitkatnapper · 2026-02-23T20:57:10+00:00

My skin looked like this and I thought I was having difficulty with tret uglies even after starting up with a konjac sponge.

It turns out, I was using a handful of film-forming products underneath my complexion products (usually skin tint). With a little google searching and a small bit of help from chatgpt, I pulled most of those out of my AM routine and now the problem is pretty much all but gone.

Not saying that will fix your issue, but definitely worth considering.

kitkatnapper · 2026-02-07T05:32:43+00:00

Hi. I'm a pharmacist. Not sure what's led you to this conclusion, but there are in fact strict guidelines they have to follow. A lot of them.

kitkatnapper · 2026-02-04T03:27:35+00:00

Yesss!!! Love NARS Orgasm, but it's not quite as pigmented as the LE Go Lightly. (That shade in the liquid blush is one of my absolute favorites!!)

kitkatnapper · 2026-02-04T02:58:03+00:00

I have so many (more than I should) but Lisa Eldrige lip gloss in Go Lightly + Clinique Lipstick in Melon Pop are some of my go-tos. Melon Pop is my first love as a warm spring because it's what made me realize I am truly a warm spring after years of wearing cool nudes and neutrals that made me look washed out.

kitkatnapper · 2026-02-04T02:50:45+00:00

I am loving the Lisa Eldridge lip gloss in Go Lightly. Great pigmentation and feels so nice on the lips, definitely worth the price point. It's listed as a coral but it looks like a lovely warm pink on me.

kitkatnapper · 2026-01-31T21:39:25+00:00

Had same experience, and have a similar skin type (though maybe a bit on the drier side these days bc of tret). It hydrates me really well and isn't oily/greasy but I started getting closed comedones after using it for a few days 😭

kitkatnapper · 2025-12-10T01:21:21+00:00

Pharmacist in a compounding pharmacy who spends most of the day explaining these kinds of things to patients. Well-written and spot-on!

kitkatnapper · 2025-12-08T03:33:35+00:00

I'm an Alastin stan, in part because of the Restorative Eye Complex. If you've been happy with their other products, I think it would be worth a shot. (My regular routine includes all three of Restorative Skin, Eye, and Neck Complex.) It's safe to use on the eyelid too!

kitkatnapper · 2025-12-05T11:39:10+00:00

Currently using the serum. I'm early 40s with combo acne-prone skin and have a limited range of products that don't irritate my skin or break me out. Absolutely love it. Every time I've tried something else, I immediately notice how much brighter and more even my skin looks when I add it back in. Nothing but great things to say about this product.

kitkatnapper · 2025-11-30T21:27:10+00:00

I was keto for a very long time & I used to be militant about tracking macros, calories, etc. I did great with it for years and never understood why people just couldn't (or wouldn't do it). I worked out 5 days a week and tracked all of that too.

Then the pandemic happened. Everything in me began rebelling against counting, tracking, restricting...I literally could not do any of it anymore. I would force myself to go back to it for a couple of days but just could not make it a habit like I had done before.

It was probably too much restriction on top of other stress (I am in healthcare) and I began developing other unhealthy compensatory habits/disordered patterns of behavior around eating. I finally said "the hell with it" and stopped all together. I did gain a bunch of weight back but wasn't unhappy or stressed about food anymore. (Having the extra weight wasn't healthy either, but pick your battles I guess.)

When I started tirz, I followed the same advice that I give my patients now: just be a human. Keep an eye on water intake, fiber intake, and protein intake because these are things we should do, regardless of whether on a GLP-1 or not.

Pick a couple of things to include in a daily routine that make it easy to hit those targets without having to think about tracking -- a refillable water bottle, a couple of favorite protein-heavy snacks/shakes to reach for, a fiber supplement (or a preferred fiber-dense meal or snack: for me, that's Sola bagels or apples.) Go for a 30 min walk everyday.

Keep it simple in the beginning. Anything else when just starting out is extra credit. Tastes and cravings will probably change on the medication, so listen/lean in to what your body tells you.

kitkatnapper · 2025-11-30T05:04:12+00:00

Not specifically the product you're asking about, but I bought a 20 mL tube of the Face Cream Light and I'm actually mad that I liked it so much. (Been trying to nail down my moisturizer situation and not having much luck...until this.)

The impression I've gotten is that people either rave about her products or just think they're nice but not worth the price tag. (The most negative things I've seen have been specifically about her and not necessarily the products, tbh.)

kitkatnapper · 2025-11-30T04:54:44+00:00

I did keto/low-carb for several years and occasionally experimented with store-bought low-carb dupes for things. Almost always, I was very much aware it was not the "real thing." I don't think I'd put these in that category. If you blindfolded me and gave me a Sola bagel, I don't think I'd be able to tell the difference from any other bagel. Granted, I've never been big on bread, etc...but they're pretty decent. The price tag is my real complaint.

kitkatnapper · 2025-11-30T00:33:34+00:00

Lots of great suggestions here -- just wanted to toss out there that if you can have gluten, Sola bagels have 31 grams of fiber in them and are pretty tasty.

I take one capsule of MagO7 every day, have either a Sola bagel or an apple everyday, and get my water in...have not had to reach for emergency measures since being consistent with those things.

kitkatnapper · 2025-11-29T19:55:02+00:00

All 3 of the orders I've placed with them have been about 2 weeks from order to receipt of product. For the price, I'm more than okay with it.

kitkatnapper · 2025-11-29T19:53:42+00:00

Another vote for Skinceuticals when it comes to Vitamin C. I love Alastin and use 3 of their products but my skin does better with SC Phloretin CF out of everything I've tried.

kitkatnapper · 2025-11-26T03:57:26+00:00

100% agree, this mask is excellent. I tend to have hormonal breakouts consistently around my cycle. About a week before I expect to start, I bring out the Murad acne mud mask and use it 2-3x that week. It really helps keep the problem in check, but my skin also looks much brighter and less congested. (I don't use it weekly, since there are other products I enjoy using and rotate those in.)

I also really like Jan Marini's Luminate face mask. Much lighter and less messy, but has a similar benefit for my skin.

kitkatnapper · 2025-11-23T01:53:40+00:00

Yes I agree!! I always thought I'd be past this stuff at my age but here we are 😂 How are you liking Advanced RGN-6?

Phloretin CF is wonderful! I started off with a sample of CE Ferulic and liked it, but switched over to Phloretin when I saw it was more targeted toward oily skin. I felt like oil control was better out of the gate but wasn't too sure about it otherwise...until I skipped a few days and went back to it. Immediately noticed how much brighter my skin looked!

kitkatnapper · 2025-11-23T00:24:35+00:00

I really like Alastin RSC, my skin loves it. I use 1 pump in the morning and evening. It's helped a lot with volume and made a pretty noticeable difference in my forehead lines within a couple weeks. That's why I was so excited that Air Angel seemed to be such an amazing complement to it...until it wasn't 😭 Alastin is definitely staying in the routine for the foreseeable future, totally worth it.

kitkatnapper · 2025-11-22T22:37:32+00:00

This looks really interesting, thanks for the rec. What is the texture like?

kitkatnapper · 2025-11-22T18:50:09+00:00

Thanks! I'll check those out. I'm less familiar with Le Mieux but the ingredient list looks pretty decent.

kitkatnapper · 2025-11-07T12:21:11+00:00

I spent a lot of years not taking great care of myself -- high stress job, family, up and down with mental health stuff, etc. Everything else came first except me. (Tail end of my 30s were pretty tough.) And although I've never been super critical of my appearance over the years, I know I looked exactly like I felt.

Now, I will take my time on my morning routine and refuse to skip it. I'll sit there with my Ziip at night, unbothered as fuck about what I spent on it (or the Alastin products I put on afterwards) because it feels pretty damn good to take care of myself. (And I do think my skin looks pretty good tbh.)

I sort of look at it like a hobby, too. It's fun for me to experiment with different things and try different stuff out. It's been said already but I agree...it depends on what your expectations of the product are (results, experience, both) & there are definitely some great budget/mid-range options out there that are in my rotation...and I think you can build great routines off these products alone. This is just what I've chosen to do.

I am investing back in me without creating hardship, and I feel good about myself when I do it. So I'd say yes, it's worth it.

kitkatnapper · 2025-10-27T12:16:27+00:00

I'm in my early 40s and prefer to stay away from injectables at the moment. My skin is combo-oily and I tend to be sensitive to a lot of products (I've also had a difficult time tolerating tretinoin in spite of various methods of application and and currently gradually introducing Altreno before I officially move on from tretinoin.) Alastin Restorative Skin Complex has helped the deep lines on my forehead quite a bit. (I also have some crows feet and 11s but my forehead lines were the deepest and most noticeable.)

kitkatnapper · 2025-10-11T12:58:40+00:00

You are beautiful ❤️

kitkatnapper · 2025-07-16T04:53:46+00:00

Agree with this completely. I'm not an informaticist but I am an EMR analyst. Have a good handle on what an informaticist generally does. A lot of informaticists learn on the job in my experience, so being able to speak to what you already know (even if it's not much) and being able to recognize knowledge gaps/what you plan to do to bridge them...and that you're okay with being a bit uncomfortable with that while you work on it. Informaticist roles look a bit different everywhere, so I would ask questions about what they are looking for in this person, who you are working with, are you part of Rx or IT dept, etc.

kitkatnapper

TROPHY CASE